Amina Noor, who was found guilty of taking a child abroad for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is to be sentenced 16th February 2024. The case is the first of it’s kind to be successfully prosecuted.
The crime that took place in 2006, saw Mrs Noor, a resident of Harrow, take the three-year-old British child abroad to Kenya for a non-UK national to perform the operation.
It wasn’t until 13 years later, that the crime was first revealed when the victim confided in a teacher.
FGM, a form of violence against women and girls (VAWG), is part of the Mayor’s VAWG Strategy for London 2022-25.
The procedure usually involves the cutting away or removing of parts of the genitalia, usually the clitoris. It is an offence to carry out the procedure on someone else, assisting a girl to mutilate her own genitals, assisting a non-UK person to mutilate a girl’s genitals overseas (including travel), and failing to protect a girl from risk of genital mutilation.
The practice which is often cited as a ‘cultural’ procedure, carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Fighting for FGM Prosecutions
The Vavengers, a survivor-led group offers a number of ways to tackle the practice by providing outreach hubs in the UK for physical, psychological, and legal needs. As well as educational workshops with businesses and organisations. The last form is National and international campaigns.
One of their last campaigns, What if You Knew Campaign (2019), looked at tackling inequalities that Black and Brown women experience in UK healthcare.
Ahead of the sentencing our reporter Nawal Abdisamad spoke to The Vavengers Ambassador and FGM survivor Shamsa Araweelo about her experience.
Shamsa Sharawe was just 6 years old when she became a victim to FGM. CREDIT: NAWAL ABDISAMAD
When asked if she was surprised that the case of Amina Noor was the first of it’s kind, she said:
“I’m not because the UK’s policies and guidelines when it comes to survivors of female genital mutilation have been very discriminatory and very dehumanizing for so long and I have had first hand experience”.
“I grew up in this country. I received medical care in this country, and actually the lack of medical care and understanding of FGM, there is such a massive confusion within the medical professionals of what FGM is, even some of them, don’t even understand”.
She continued to say that her experience was not unique:
“I have had other survivors who I went to school with who have contacted me and have said that this was their experience with the NHS and all of them are really horror stories”.
When asked what she believes should be done to prevent FGM taking place and holding perpetrators accountable, she believes FGM should be on the education curriculum. From primary schools up to college and university.
Resources
If you or someone you know has experience with FGM, they can head to the NSPCC website for advice and support.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineFirst person to be convicted of FGM, is being sentenced tomorrow
Short HeadlineFirst UK sentencing for FGM Perpetrator
StandfirstAmina Noor is the first person to be charged with taking a child abroad for the procedure.
Amina Noor, who was found guilty of taking a child abroad for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is to be sentenced 16th February 2024. The case is the first of it’s kind to be successfully prosecuted.
The crime that took place in 2006, saw Mrs Noor, a resident of Harrow, take the three-year-old British child abroad to Kenya for a non-UK national to perform the operation.
It wasn’t until 13 years later, that the crime was first revealed when the victim confided in a teacher.
FGM, a form of violence against women and girls (VAWG), is part of the Mayor’s VAWG Strategy for London 2022-25.
The procedure usually involves the cutting away or removing of parts of the genitalia, usually the clitoris. It is an offence to carry out the procedure on someone else, assisting a girl to mutilate her own genitals, assisting a non-UK person to mutilate a girl’s genitals overseas (including travel), and failing to protect a girl from risk of genital mutilation.
The practice which is often cited as a ‘cultural’ procedure, carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Fighting for FGM Prosecutions
The Vavengers, a survivor-led group offers a number of ways to tackle the practice by providing outreach hubs in the UK for physical, psychological, and legal needs. As well as educational workshops with businesses and organisations. The last form is National and international campaigns.
One of their last campaigns, What if You Knew Campaign (2019), looked at tackling inequalities that Black and Brown women experience in UK healthcare.
Ahead of the sentencing our reporter Nawal Abdisamad spoke to The Vavengers Ambassador and FGM survivor Shamsa Araweelo about her experience.
Shamsa Sharawe was just 6 years old when she became a victim to FGM. CREDIT: NAWAL ABDISAMAD
When asked if she was surprised that the case of Amina Noor was the first of it’s kind, she said:
“I’m not because the UK’s policies and guidelines when it comes to survivors of female genital mutilation have been very discriminatory and very dehumanizing for so long and I have had first hand experience”.
“I grew up in this country. I received medical care in this country, and actually the lack of medical care and understanding of FGM, there is such a massive confusion within the medical professionals of what FGM is, even some of them, don’t even understand”.
She continued to say that her experience was not unique:
“I have had other survivors who I went to school with who have contacted me and have said that this was their experience with the NHS and all of them are really horror stories”.
When asked what she believes should be done to prevent FGM taking place and holding perpetrators accountable, she believes FGM should be on the education curriculum. From primary schools up to college and university.
Resources
If you or someone you know has experience with FGM, they can head to the NSPCC website for advice and support.
